Images of gender violence in Brazilian soap operas

Abstract

This article investigates the portrayal of the violence perpetrated against the villains of Brazilian soap operas by their parents, husbands and lovers. The main question is about whether the scenes in which these women are assaulted are inserted in a context in which such violence is stated and questioned, or if they appear devoid of any inquiry about the depiction of a man beating a woman. Nine soap operas were selected for analysis: all were exhibited between the years of 2000 to 2017 and were presented in prime time (21 o'clock). At the end of the course, the investigation demonstrates a regime of representation that denies the gender violence inherent in these images and their possible consequences.